


Gold

by ML_Fox



Series: Colour Story [1]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Another Story (Mystic Messenger), Canon Compliant, Character Study, Drama & Romance, F/M, Hugging, Hugs, Intimacy, Jihyun Week 2020, Love, Non-Sexual Intimacy, One Shot, One Shot Collection, One True Pairing, Originally Posted on Tumblr, POV Third Person, POV Third Person Limited, POV V | Kim Jihyun, Reflection, Reimagining, Romance, Short One Shot, Slow Romance, Temptation, V | Kim Jihyun Deserved Better, V | Kim Jihyun's Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26275423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ML_Fox/pseuds/ML_Fox
Summary: First day ofJihyun Week:Fairytale| TemptationSet in day 9 of V's Another Story route.V experienced temptation only once in his life: when his mother reconnected with him and showed him another way of living his life. After she died tragically it never happened again. However, whensheembraced him during one of the biggest trials of his life... everything changed.
Relationships: V | Kim Jihyun & Main Character, V | Kim Jihyun/Main Character
Series: Colour Story [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1909057
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Gold

All V ever knew in his childhood was his father. V lived in his shadow, absorbing it into his own. As he walked the path his father laid for him he learned not to want for inferior things. Money, success, winning… those were the only things that mattered. Everything else outside of that must bolster him or otherwise discarded. V wanted to be a good son—the _best_ son. He followed every doctrine thrown his way, weaving its threads through his DNA.

Until his mother entered his life.

V had his wall, unmovable and solid. Yet his mother, with her gentle and unconditional love, walked through his defences. Inevitably he got to know her and spend time with her. And for the first time, V was curious. What would it be like to look around? What else existed outside the path he walked on? He asked himself questions before he realised he asked them. He _wanted_ to know though he knew it was wrong. Often, his eyes turned to his mother who seemed to hold all the answers. His world, which was so strictly grayscale, now had pops of colour that started to spread. If he took that step he would’ve learned so many things; he wouldn’t have grown up so hollow. His mother encouraged him to reach out and it strengthened his curiosity.

But… it wasn’t stronger than his father’s grip.

So he resisted.

And the result of that resistance… it hurt too much to think about.

This was a part of his life he never revealed. He buried this so deep inside that no evidence of it showed on his outward appearance. Jumin knew, of course; he was the only one—and even then his knowledge was that of a witness’. It was all dark, ugly, and shameful. V never spoke about it.

So what was it about her?

What magic did she have that had the words spilling from his lips without his control? Why hasn’t she walked away? They only met eight days ago. Just by knowing him she’s experienced so many terrifying things. Everything he told her was enough to disgust or scare people into leaving... but here she was. She stood before him. Around him were her arms.

She _held_ him.

No one’s ever held him like this. Not since his mother. He pushed away from her support and love when she offered it to him. His harsh rejection ended in tragedy. After everything he’d done he shouldn’t be experiencing something like this. As he continued to talk, her arms tightened around him. His heart warmed in her gentle care. With her he was safe.

“I keep thinking… I want to be positive with you,” he said.

V gazed at her. Her hair looked black in the dark. With every breath, her shoulders shook. Around him her arms felt like twigs. Within the walls of Magenta, she appeared strong and resilient. Now, though… somehow she looked so fragile and vulnerable.

“Maybe I’m leaning on you…” he continued softly to himself.

She was the one holding him, _supporting_ him, even though she was the one that needed all those things. That thought brought a strange feeling within him. Inside his emptiness, something sparked to life. It wasn’t curiosity, like with his mother—rather it was desire.

He wanted to hold her.

Though he had no right to. He shouldn’t be selfish.

Still, he raised his arms—slowly.

“These ideas used to make me uneasy,” he said, voice shaking. “But when you agreed to them… they’re renewed. Now, they mean something different.”

He circled his arms around her. He closed his eyes and whispered, “Thank you so much for coming into my life. Thank you so much… I would do _anything_ for you…”

 _Snap_.

A weight dropped on his shoulders at the sound. The light within him extinguished. He knew what it was before it manifested itself. It was _her_ presence—strong and imposing, impossible to ignore to those attuned to it. Sighing, he dropped his arms. Though he didn’t get to hold her he still felt a significant loss. Though she still held him he already missed her.

“Please, excuse me,” he said, shaking his head. “I got a little emotional. It’s been a while since I last talked about my mother...”

“It’s okay,” she assured him, squeezing her arms around him. “You can talk about her as much as you want… I’m always here to listen to you.”

The sincerity in her words was unmistakable. He smiled.

“I appreciate that.”

She nods.

Soon after, though, his smile dropped. He sighed with guilt and reluctance as he said, “I’m sorry to ask, but… do you mind giving me a moment?”

At this, she looked up at him and frowned.

“Are you sure?” she said. “It’s dark and dangerous out here...”

Her pupils were wide, trying to see him in the dark. She looked especially delicate and innocent. There were strands of hair stuck to her cheek and he so badly wanted to brush them away. But he didn’t because he shouldn’t; now was not the best time.

“I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “The drug’s almost worn off, and Luciel might be looking for us.”

“Right…”

She stepped back. Now that she no longer hugged him he felt a little less, a little emptier. Within and around him it was no longer warm. He wanted to tuck her hair behind her ear, but he shouldn’t—somehow that fact made the desire so much stronger. It was something he had to fight against.

“Please go ahead,” he said. “If he asks about me then please let him know I’ll return after getting some air.”

“Okay…” she said dubiously. “If you’re sure…”

“I am,” he smiled. “Watch your step. The mountain paths are rocky.”

“Then, please excuse me…”

She made a little bow and then started making her way to the cabin. He watched her walk down the path, hoping that she didn’t trip over any uneven ground. Then, his smile dissipated. Once, she looked back at him and he waved to assure her, which she returned before continuing her trek. He saw the cabin from where he stood; he made certain she was inside before facing the darkness.

“I know you’re here,” he said. “How did you find me?”

There was no answer to his question for a few seconds. A niggle of doubt appeared in his mind. Perhaps it was the drug and it had made him paranoid… but there was no mistaking this feeling. He couldn’t mistake her presence. Then, suddenly… there. The branches of a nearby tree rustled and something moved in the shadows. Her black dress made her part of the darkness but her golden hair stood out from the inky backdrop. She held herself regally, much different from the Rika he knew. As he gazed at her beatific expression he sensed something was wrong.

“Luciel was careless,” she answered softly. “The coordinates leaked.”

V looked around, trying to see past the darkness. He knew what he was looking for but he couldn’t muster the nerve to voice it. As Rika stood before him he wouldn't meet her eyes; he tried to look over her shoulders, waiting for... something to happen.

“Don’t worry,” Rika continued. “I’m the only one who came.”

That worried him more. Sighing, he gave up and looked over his shoulder at the cabin instead. Surely it was only a few minutes ago since she went inside but somehow it felt like hours. He wanted to be there with her, maybe actually hug her as he desired to do before. But he couldn’t. Not when he still has so many things to do to amend for his sins, so many more things to do to make everything right. So when the time came for her to leave that cabin… she and everyone he ever loved was safe. He sighed, closing his eyes and offering a silent apology to her.

Then, he turned back to Rika and closed the distance between them.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr | FF.net
> 
> 1\. Hello everyone! I'm back with more Kim Jihyun/V fan fiction because our mint boy deserves all the love. Also, Jihyun Week started on my birthday so I took that as a sign and wrote this. Advance happy birthday, Jihyun!
> 
> 2\. I chose **temptation** for my prompt but I didn't interpret it in a typical way. Throughout his route Jihyun would sometimes say or do something without filter and whenever he thought he went too far he'd backtrack or stop himself. So I applied that to one of the most iconic moments in his route: the hug! I'd like to think that in this moment Jihyun wanted to hug the mc back but he wouldn't let himself go through with it.
> 
> 3\. I used my artistic license and changed the dialogue around for a smoother reading experience!
> 
> Aaand that's it! I hope you enjoy. I always appreciate any feedback. I hope you're all being safe and healthy; please take care of yourselves. 2021 is just around the corner and we'll all make that our year since this one was just... no. Hahaha. Thank you for reading!


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